Band-cutter



W. R. SCHWARTZ.

BAND CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1919.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

wumtoz 14/ 77. Sefiwari L I r v WILLIAM R. SCHWARTZ, OF LA MOURE, NORTH. DAKOTA.

BAND-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed March 22, 1919. Serial No. 284,231.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. SCHWARTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Moure, in the county of La Moure and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Band- Cutters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for cut ting bands on corn and grain shocks, and the general object of this invention is to provide a band cutter adapted to be mounted upon the ordinary bundle fork.

A further object is to provide a device of this character so constructed that it will not in any way interfere with the usual and normal use of the fork, but may be attached thereto or detached therefrom with a' minimum of trouble.

A further object is to provide a band outter of the character described formed of one piece of metal struck up so as to partially embrace the ferrule of the handle and provide tongues engageable with the head of the fork.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a face view of a blank from which my improved band cutter is formed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a bundle fork with my band cutter applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. e is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that my band cutter is made of a blank A of metal, the blank being cut to provide diverging cutting edges at opposite side edges of the blank and a plurality of tongues 11 and 12 extending from the body 10. The blank is slitted, as at 13, at its upper end to form ears 14. The medial portion of the blank is approximately semi-circular in form to provide the body 10 heretofore referred to, and the ears 1% are bent around to continue the semi-circle and partially embrace the fer-' rule or tapered portion of a handle B of the fork. The laterally disposed wings 15 formed by bending the central body portion 10 have arcuate lower edges 16, and from these lower edges project the tongues 11.

The tongues 11 are curved outward away from the tongue 12, which is larger than the tongues 11, and is relatively slightly curved. When in actual use the device is placed upon the fork, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In forks of this character the tines a and b and c converge at the ferrule of the handle, the tines b and 0 being upwardly andinwardly curved. The concavely formed edges 16 of the wings fit these curved tines as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the tongues 11 embrace one side of the tines while the tongue 12 extends downward over the middle portion or junction of these tines on the other side. Thus the cutter is securely held upon the fork from accidental detachment, though it may be detached very quickly when desired.

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the body of the band cutter is bent partly around the ferrule of the handle and the blades or knives 15 extend at right angles so as to come just back of the outside of the tines b and 0 of the fork. The ears 14: engage around the ferrule of the handle but the ears onl extend beyond the body so as to form clamps that pass a little over half way around the ferrule, thereby holding the upper end of the band cutter firmly to the ferrule. The tongues 11 are bent so as to form hooks or clamps that extend partly around the two outside tines b and c on one side, While the tongue 12 or extension of the body rests against the other side of the fork on the center tine, thereby holding the clamps 11 firmly to the outside tines. The blades or cutting members 15 are sharpened on their cutting edges and are either smooth or roughened, that is slightly serrated, so as to out better.

This band cutter should be made of spring metal so that the clamps may act as springs when attaching it to the fork. In attaching the band cutter to the bundle fork, the fork is held as shown in Fig. 2. The clamping ears 1a are pushed over the ferrule at its smallest point, then the device is pushed upward on the handle just enough to let the clamping ears 11 pass by the back of the outside tines. Then the cutting blades 15 are pressed down enough so as to let the clamps 11 pass under the outside tines and while in this position, the band cutter is pushed toward the pointof the fork tines and when pushed far enough, the blades 15 are released and the clamps 11 will hold to the outside tines on. one side of the fork,

while the clamping ear 12 presses on the center thereby holding the band cutter firmly to the fork ferrule. In order to detach the band cutter, the same steps are performed, but in the reverse order.

In the use of this device, the fork is turned on edge across the band and pressed down slightly and toward the operator, and as the cutting edge passes over the band,'the band is severed. While, as before remarked, this device can be readily detached from the fork, it does not, when in place, interfere with the work in any way. It will be seen that this device is very simple, may be cheaply made, and that it forms an extremely convenient implement, doing away with the necessity of the operator using a special band cutter and having to put aside the fork every time he uses the band cutter.

I claim '1. A device of the character described stamped from sheet metal to provide a body portion formed to partially embrace the handle of a bundle fork and having an outwardly extending wing formed with a back whereby it may be disposed against a tine of a bundle fork and formed with an inclined cutting edge opposed to said back, the back of said wing having means engage able with the tine to hold the wing in alinement with the tine.

2. A device of the character described formed of a blank of sheet metal formed to provide a transversely curved body portion adapted to partially embrace the handle of a bundle fork, oppositely disposed, laterally projecting wings having inclined cutting edges, and opposed edges formed to bear against the back of the tines of the fork, the body and said wings being provided with clamping ears adapted to engage with the tines of the fork.

3. A device of the character described formed of a blank of sheet metal, the central portion of the blank being formed to provide a transversely curved body tapering toward one end and adapted to embrace the ferrule of a bundle fork just above the tines, the body having laterally projecting fiat wings, the forward edges of said wings be ing arcuately curved, the rear edges of the wings being inclined and sharp to form cutters, the wings being provided with forwardly projecting, curved, resilient clamping ears adapted to engage with the tines of the fork, the body at one extremity being provided with an ear adapted to engage on the opposite side of the tines from said first named ears.

4. The combination with a fork having tines and a handle, of a band cutter formed with a body engaging with and embracing the handle of the fork just above the tines thereof, said body having laterally projecting wings disposed in a parallel plane to the tines and bearing thereagainst, and means on the body and wings engaging the tines to prevent rotary movement of the body on the handle and hold the wings in proper relation to the tines, said wingshaving inclined cutting edges.

5. A device of the character described comprising a body formed to engage with and embrace the handle of a bundle fork just above the tines thereof to provide laterally projecting cutting knives adapted to bear against the outermost tines of the fork, said body and cutting knives being provided with resilient members detachably clamping the tines of the fork and resisting rotation of the body on the handle to carry the cutting knives out of operative position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. SCHWVARTZ.

Witnesses:

R. M. CRIoH'roN, T. J. GAUGHAN.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

